Dance The Death
by Kyris
Summary: As A/U as you can get! Shinomori Aoshi is Death in the service of the mighty Erlking. When informed of the birth of a great healer, he intends to pay it no heed but the Fates plan otherwise... Read and Review!
1. Prologue : Death's Domain

A/N:

                This is my retreat from writing reality-type stories. I can't help it! I'm a fantasy writer at heart, and thus this fic is born… This fic has no connections whatsoever with my other work in progress 'Always Then Always Forever'. 

                Hope you all enjoy!

**Prologue**** :**** Death's Domain**

Another day passed.

Below the harsh winter sun, a tall man strode calmly aside a well-worn path. He was clad in dark yet richly woven clothing, the only contrast being his pale cream coat that brushed lightly against the ground.  Dark shoes stood out in stark contrast against the white earth; one foot stepping in front of the other. Ice-blue eyes carefully regarded the surroundings, ever watchful for anything suspicious lurking amongst the small mounds littering the landscape. 

Around him, the skeletons of trees and bushes were scattered in what seemed to be desolate woodland, but in this land one never knew what could appear. And desolate? Yes, but gorgeously so. Cliffs with veins of pure gold and burnished copper towered over the pale landscape, flecks of the precious ore glittering in the light. To his left gleamed a frozen stream, seemingly suspended in time as the whirls and eddies, waves of current, were captured in ice.

Hooves and feet crunched the snow underfoot. 

Beside him a huge beast of ebony snorted, a brief flicker of flame reaching out to vaporize the snow crusted around its nuzzle.

_It always snows in this valley_.

Lifting a hand, he watched impassively as a few snowflakes gathered and melted in the warm cup of his palm. A moment's concentration later found the water dripping off, within moments materializing back into snow.

A slight softening of sharp features; he had always loved snow. And therefore, the valley had always snowed for him.

"Aoshi-sama!". The call rang out, echoing several times over as it bounced off the surrounding cliffs. Next to him, the steed of Death flattened its ears against its head and bared fanged teeth. Clearly it was not pleased, and rolling its eyes back announced that it was _nervous_.

A light giggle and a 'poof!' later, a figure appeared on its back. "Welcome back, Aoshi-sama! How was your outing?".

His icy demeanour, a perfect reflection of his valley, withstood the onslaught of exuberant cheeriness to maintain his impassive expression as he continued walking. Behind him, the horse gave a small whinny, clearly a plea for help. Without looking back he knew she was starting to braid its mane.

"We've got heaps of new births since you've been away", the girl sang out, small fingers nimbly weaving the silky black locks of the stallion into a simple braid. Petite of stature, she was clearly dwarfed by the massive horse though she was already in her early teens.

He didn't bother prompting her for more information. She would tell him anyway. As though reading his thoughts, the girl smiled the happy smile of those with no worries. But of course, she had nothing to worry her save for the present, and that was gone in a moment anyway. The past and the future held no concern for her.

After all, they were pretty much handled by her two sisters.

"Oh!". The interest in her tone made him perk his ears. Something that elicited a reaction like that was bound to be important. Bright orange eyes went blank, mane in hand left forgotten, "Pretty baby". Her voice was distant, "Poor girl. Poor girl. Poor girl".

"What do you mean by poor girl, Del?". His voice was calm and smooth, rich and deep.

She gave him a bright smile then, encouraged by his words, "The one with the pretty eyes, Aoshi-sama?".

"Yes Del. Why do you feel sorry for the girl with the pretty eyes?". Careful, measured and perfectly under control.

The beaming smile remained, "She's calling for her mother".

"Does she have her mother?".

A grimace darkened her normally cheery disposition, holding for several seconds, "Does who have her mother?". A moment later and the frown broke to reveal her happy grin once again, "How was Aoshi-sama's day?". Her fingers resumed the braiding.

He fell silent then, deep in thought. Del paid him no heed as she hummed tunelessly, tormenting the poor horse with additional flowers braiding into its mane. The resulting silence was punctured with short announcements stated in Del's sing-song voice, "Puck is attempting to play a prank on a sprite. Wayland Smith is shoeing Rhiannon's horse. A new soul is dancing in a faerie ring". Her next words stopped him cold; "Kelcee's asking Liot to make her a pendent".

"A pendent?". Brows furrowed, he mused out loud, "Where are Kelcee and Liot?".

The grin was now accompanied by a twinkle in her eyes, always present whenever she reported on her sisters, "In your home, of course!".

But of course. Where else would his changelings be?

Curiosity roused, he hauled himself onto the relieved steed, causing the girl to whoop in excitement, her braiding forgotten. "We're gonna talk to Kelcee and Liot?". It was more of a statement rather than a question.

The horse sprang forwards, exhaustion forgotten and now eager to be home.

Behind them, hoof-prints vanished in the snow.

The home of Death held little semblance to his valley, and yet like the valley represented another side of him. The valley was what he presented to the world; ice-cold and relentless, a ruthless exterior daring others to challenge it.

His dwellings however were very much different.

Travelling through a narrow chasm revealed a clearing completely void of snow. Here, he was more relaxed. More hospitable. Lush emerald grass covered the earth, dotted here and there with glimpses of rare sapphire and ruby wild-flowers. A traditional hunting lodge stood tall and sturdy near the back of the clearing, seemingly carved out of a huge block of mahogany. Ebony pieces seemed to gleam in welcome as the fae dwelling reached out a tendril of warmth towards its master.

_It is good to be home_, he told it silently. Faint inscriptions on the walls danced in reply.

In a single fluid motion he was off the horse. Del followed suit, albeit with motions much clumsier than his. A simple pat on its flank sent it cantering out of the glen, shaking its head furiously to dislodge the flowers and leaves woven into its hair. Aoshi waited till it vanished before heading towards the lodge.

Behind him, Del followed obediently.

The door swung open the moment he touched it to reveal two girls staring back at him. The shorter one grinned, "Told ya he's back".

Ignoring her triumphant tone, he carefully laid two sheaths onto a table nearby, "Who is the child Del spoke of?". Del, who had been hanging around in the doorway, beamed as she saw the weapons and made to pounce, but a soft tap on her head stopped her. Of the little things she could remember, she knew that meant 'Bad. Don't do'.

The Present was hard enough to keep under control at the best of times anyway.

The tallest of the girls, Liot, cocked her head to the side, long brown hair falling softly around her slim shoulders, "The girl that was born without a mother? She died, you know. The mother, I mean. From the birthing". A moment's pause later, she added, "She's got a very powerful destiny, that one". Violet eyes turned thoughtful at that.

"Oh?". He looked towards Kelcee, who was currently fingering the swords thoughtfully. A slight hint of wistfulness there; she would inherit Death should he die. That much he knew.

The dark-haired girl shot him a grin, one he was quite familiar with. Del, seeing it, had an identical version on her face. Somewhere here was a chance for mischief. Seeing her master expecting more information, Kelcee sighed, "She will be named Takani Megumi. Very powerful healer".

"Healers can only help those who are destined to live". There was no worry in his tone. Healers in the past had never managed to impair him from collecting the souls Lord Finvarra demanded.

"Of course, Aoshi-sama", Kelcee's grin grew larger, stirring unease in him. Obviously she knew something he didn't.

Liot smiled innocently as well, and handed a pendent to him. It was a gorgeous thing; gold and silver worked together to create an intricate cage in which a purple translucent stone floated. Amethyst, stone of calm, protection and healing. On the surface of the cage, runes and inscriptions shimmered and danced.

A meaningful look prompted her to answer, "She will need it. The village she was born in is littered with the Saugh. It will protect her from them". The self-satisfaction in her tone vanished then, replaced by worry, "However, she would be vulnerable should the Hunt ride".

Unbidden, Kelcee spoke up then, her words carefully measured, "She will come upon them quite a few times". The secretive grin she held was starting to seriously unsettle him.

"Show me".

The girl shrugged and spread her hands. The air between them rippled and solidified into a cloth. "This one shows the major path of her destiny. She has yet to weave her Greater cloth".

He studied it intently, noting with interest the many different life-threads entering and leaving the fabric. Clearly she would be healing quite a few people. However, one thread stood out from the rest, weaving in and out and making up a fair bit of the cloth. It caught his eye and increased his unease.

Black, dark blue and silver. "This", he picked at it, "This is my thread".

All three girls grinned at him then as Kelcee nodded, "Yes, Aoshi-sama. That's your thread".

* * *

            In case you haven't guessed, this is an Aoshi/Megumi fic just like my other one. *Grin*. Reviews are more than welcomed!


	2. Chapter 1: Thus The Threads Cross

A/N:

                I am tired :) 

**Chapter 1 :**** Thus The Threads Cross**

_Aoshi-sama, you will need to give this to her. Lord Finvarra does not appreciate us entering the mortal realm._

Kelcee's words echoed in his mind, and a brief vision of the three girls hovered before him, all remarkably solemn. The mirage dissipated soon enough, but not before Del sneaked in a cheeky wave.

He frowned inwardly; why was he doing this? Kelcee had not mentioned any dire consequences should he decide against giving the child, this _Takani Megumi, the pendant. And what did it matter to him whether or not the Saugh* would plague her? He was Death. Why should the Reaper care about the safety of the Harvest?_

Well, it didn't matter now. He had given his word and regardless that it had been given to minions, he would keep it.

All he had to do now was locate her, give her the jewel and be done with it.

A deep breath. Even after decades of being the embodiment of Death, his human mind still struggled to rationalize the technique; horrified that the method used no tangible senses nor consisted of set steps to carry out in order, terrified at the uncertainty it boded. Meanwhile, the Fae in him watched on, partially fascinated by this inner conflict but mostly disgusted at his desiccation of chaos.

_Calm breaths. Darkness. Surrender himself completely and wholly to the darkness. Completely. Wholly. _

_Darkness.___

_Turbulence.__ Turning, turning, turning… A roar of the senses; words flying past him in a deafening roar, emotions bright and passionate as flames flickered through him, flashes of colour blinding him, and still he searched. He needed to trust his instincts, his intuition. His Eye._

_Focus... focus. Focus!_

_There._

_He found it. He felt the beating of a heart pulsating against his skin, heard it echoing in his mind. A tiny heart that was no bigger than half his fist, and yet the soft lub-dub as it beat was admirably strong and consistent. Here was a soul that was determined to live._

Ice-blue eyes glittered as he readied his journey. Now that he knew the beat of her heart, her life, he could track her down and find her regardless of where she was. Regardless of _when_ she was.

The icy blast hit him the moment he stepped out from the shadows, chilling already pale skin, but he paid it no heed. Instead he was glancing around to take in his surroundings.

Here there were hardly any trees. The only ones he saw were miserable spindly specimens, a tiny radius allocated for their growth cleared in the hard concrete ground where they jutted out pathetically. Around him tall buildings towered, menacingly gloomy in this dark night. And just across him yawned a wide expanse of road, with the occasional horseless chariot – a car, he reminded himself – zooming past.

It was also snowing.

Right in front of him was a large building, looming high above and utterly intimidating with its dark grey concrete walls, dark windows and narrow roads. Hands indifferently tucked into the pockets of his coat; he strode into the compound, mindless of the angry rocks of ice rushing at him. With a small twist of his mind the wind diverted around him, carrying with it all debris of the storm.

His cream coat whipped behind him as he casually pulled up to the porch of said building. With a mere thought and without pause, he glided through the door, solid oak as it was.

Someday even structures will die, rust and crumble, but he would still be there. Only him. He was the only reality. All others were temporary and as such could easily be dismissed as non-existent. 

The hallway was dark, but he made his way easily enough. All he had to do was follow his senses, including those not normally found in the human repertoire. If he concentrated hard enough, he could see lines emanating from the structures around him. All matter vibrates at a certain frequency, and with his added Fae abilities he could pick this up.

As it was, his mind was occupied and he merely sensed these lines as he moved around in absolute darkness. It was only when he found the door he was looking for did he remember that avoiding objects was a _human trait._

_Human traits be damned, he thought with mild annoyance, and opened the door._

The feeling of an expansive room engulfed him. He blinked but once, and concentrated.

Then he saw it. Silvery lines lying gently on each surface, shimmering lightly and wriggling slightly as the object it was on moved.

Now he listened.

Dozens of hearts beat here. He could _feel_ them, washing over his sensitized skin and flooding his senses, clamouring against one another in a rising crescendo. Carefully he picked out the one he was looking for, ever so carefully, and as he did so one by one each beat fell silent, blocked by sheer concentration.

And he found her.

Her cot was not far from where he stood, and laid right next to a small barred window. Not wanting to waste time he headed over to her, pendant shimmering in his hand.

And there she was. Casting away the Fae sight, his first impression was of a young, small figure dappled by pale silver moonlight. Long black hair was dishevelled and splayed around her shivering form, the thin excuse of a blanket lending precious little warmth. The cot itself appeared uncomfortable; a fearsome contraption of metal bars, a thin cotton mattress and a rock hard pillow.

Aoshi frowned, his eyes narrowing into small slits. Obviously this orphanage was more concerned about budgeting rather than the children themselves. Meanwhile, the girl was curled up in bed, mumbling something incoherent and trying to pull the blanket over her head. Outside, the wind howled in sympathy.

_Who is he, the Reaper to care for the Harvest?_

He carefully shifted her around so it would be easier to put the necklace on her. He noted with unease how light she was, how slight. Shoving those thoughts out of his mind he slipped the pendant around her neck and watched as it flashed once, twice, and slowly transformed into a simple flat pebble with a hole borne through the top. The intricate rings of gold chain changed into rough leather.

The complete transformation was courtesy of Kelcee's glamour skills. After all, who better to deal with transformations than the Future? It would remain as inconspicuous as she wanted to be.

That would do for now. Except for one thing.

He pulled a folded cloak out of the pockets of his coat. It was supposed to be a present for Del, but at the moment it seemed this child, this _Megumi, needed it more than she did. Besides, he could always send someone out to fetch it back for him come morning. He shook it out carefully, momentarily admiring the gorgeously woven cloak of spider-silk, masterfully thin and impossibly warm._

He draped it over her, almost instantly seeing her shivers calm down. After waiting a moment to ensure she needed no further aid, he started to move off but was stopped when he felt a tug on his coat.

He turned to see alert dark eyes fringed with sooty lashes watching him. "Who are you?" came the soft whisper. There was no hint of fear in her calm, young voice, only fragments of mild curiosity. 

_She could see him!_

The answer came out unbidden and was equally quiet: "Your adversary," and melted back into the shadows.

_Liot.__ You are summoned._

The graceful girl nodded to herself and blew out all but one candle in the room. She ensured her sisters were fast asleep and well tucked-in into their own beds before heading out.

Her small feet made close to no sound on the smooth wooden floor as she made her way to the Study.

The Study was the only room in the entire lodge that had earned itself the capital and well-respected 'S'. This was the room in which Death, Aoshi-sama in this case, resided. It was his one retreat where no one uninvited could enter.

It was perfectly normal for the Fae to have their preferred rooms in a dwelling, but there were strange tales whispered amongst the Fae about the Study. The previous Deaths had their dungeons, their graveyards and even their throne rooms. But a Study? True, that Death would always have his Place, but for him to adapt such… _human…_ customs were unheard of.

They also wondered if it had anything to do with Lord Finvarra's decision to replace Death with a whole human. Human mind, body and soul, instead of merely using a human soul to carry on a Fae's legacy as per custom. But then, such thoughts and words were only muttered by rogue Fae and even they took care in saying it. Crossing the mighty Erlking was a deed few wished to pursue.

She paused before the door and knocked once. The door swung open at the soft command of, "Come in".

One step, two, then she was past the doorway.

The scene that met her was a familiar one. A large room, it was lit only by the fire blazing away in the marble fireplace. Large bookcases took up the majority of the walls, with maps and the like framed against the rest. One particular wall was taken up by a huge herb cabinet, all drawers neatly labelled and organized. And sitting at the desk to the far side of the room sat a quietly contemplative Aoshi.

There was an odd air about him tonight. The slight sag in his shoulders, the tilt of his head, it all hinted that there was something he was deeply worried about.

He wasted no time in his questions, "Who is this Takani Megumi?"

Liot smiled serenely, well used to his abrupt manner. "She is an orphan, Aoshi-sama. Just today you took her father's soul to apprentice with Dian Cecht".

"He was a great physician. Lord Finvarra saw it to be a fitting fate for him to learn from the Healing God". There was a goblet resting in his hands, the dark green liquid swirling as he pondered the events of the day.

"Even so. She dislikes you, Aoshi-sama". She did not bother hiding her grin at that; Kelcee had bowled over laughing when she was revising their fates.

_Who would have ever suspected?_

That earned her a steely gaze from his cerulean eyes. "At so young an age?" He did not dismiss her words though; she embodied the past and the past would never lie. Lies suggested change, and if there was one thing about the past it is that no one could change it.

She gave a slight nod. "She fears what you are". Then, "Aoshi-sama, you are worried that she saw you?"

At that, he sighed and raked a hand through the sable locks of his hair. The goblet was left unheeded, now alone on the large expanse of his desk. "There was something odd…" and he trailed off there, opting for a weary, "Are you girls planning anything?"

Liot shrugged, heading over to the opposite side of the room to where the herbs were kept. Deft hands picking at various roots, leaves and flowers, she answered absently, "We plan a lot, Aoshi-sama. There are a lot of things we have to manage".

"I meant about me". Here in this room, he could afford to unburden himself of his concerns. And if you shared the room with the Past, who knew everything that had happened before the Present, you really had no choice.

Violet eyes twinkled at him, "What did I just say?"  A mortar and a pestle appeared suddenly in her hands and she began to ground the selected herbs. "You have no need to worry about her, Aoshi-sama. Leave everything to us".

The Past will never lie, but it can get very confusing.

"You three are beholden to me". A remark made to illustrate a point. "I will make the choice whether or not to allow you free rein".

"We do our work well. The Fates do not need Death to supervise". She scooped the paste from the mortar and dunked it into the lone goblet, taking care to stir it in well. "There you go, Aoshi-sama. That will help you sleep".

"Death does not sleep, Liot".

This time her gentle smile was motherly as she placed the goblet in his hand. "You, who have not rested for two weeks dealing with matters not meant for mortals. This", and she leaned over the desk to tap his forehead gently. "Death will need it".

She bowed briefly and left.

* * *

            Saugh: Also known as the Unseelie Court, these are the 'evil' and extremely dangerous side of the Fae. Very malicious towards humans.

            Other RK characters will appear in later chapters. Hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised at the roles I've picked for 'em *grins mischievously* And! Now that you've read, you can review! ;)


	3. Chapter 2: Thus The Tale Is Told

**A/N:**

Sorry for the lack of updates guys. I've had a lot of pressing stuff to deal with these past few months, and to top it off my laptop broke down. But hey, it's a month later, I've got my laptop, and I'm happy.

Hopefully I'll have my Always Then Always Forever update by next week, providing nothing else pops up to harass me. Anyway, more stuff later. For now, storytime! :D

Notes:

~ indicate a change in POV

.oOOo.oOOo. is just a caterpillar crawling across the screen.

**Chapter 2 :**** Thus The Tale Is Told**

_16 years later…_

It was, she decided, a very bleak place.

Despite knowing how this place looked like before she visited, it had never sunk in exactly how vile this city was. What should have been ribbons of shimmering blue water was replaced by ugly drab slabs of black asphalt. Majestic trees were gone, replaced by tall dwellings whose symmetry was a mockery of her Fey soul. Yes, though light glimmered through the glass panes of these buildings, lights of various colours twinkling merrily away, they had no… what was the word? Life?

There was no life in this city, she thought to herself. The only sparks of souls were the mortals threading their lives through the bleakness of this domain. The whole place was just so miserable… where was the emerald of life brought by meadows and forests? Where were the colours?

_Maybe, she mused to herself, __the only colours they need are those they weave. The thought was particularly cheery, and it helped her ignore the harsh grating the air had in her lungs._

This was not a clean city either.

Anxious to get the mission over with, she leaned over to the side so she could have a better view of what the mortal was doing. "Aoshi-sama, are we going to pay Megumi-san a visit?" Kelcee asked, watching with interest at the figure currently pounding down on a patient's motionless chest.

_She's pretty, she thought, a wide grin on her face as she contemplated the effects this would have on her Master. _

As for her question, there was no answer from the man. She glanced to the side, her motions mimicked by the large horse she rode. Jet black save for the snow whiteness of its mane and tail, the horse rolled its eyes when it was clear Death was not going to answer Kelcee's question.

Far below them, illuminated by the yellow artificial light of the city, the few people who wandered the streets were oblivious to the two figures on horseback floating outside the seventh floor of the All Hallows Hospital.

"Aoshi-sama?" she prodded again.

"Sensei."

Kelcee blinked unusually dark blue eyes, "What?"

"You must call her Megumi-sensei. She is a doctor; give her due respect." He was all seriousness, this Death. With the thin sliver of the new moon behind him, a faint silvery light cast a faint glow about him; the darkness of his hair tinged with midnight hue, the elegant features set in an emotionless gaze.

A stab of sorrow; Aoshi-sama had lost his humanity. No, not lost it. He was denying it, and she could not help but be saddened. Where was the passion, the emotions, that the Fey so loved? That the Fey tried so hard to emulate what humans did effortlessly?

Regardless of her thoughts, a bright grin flashed, "But she's not a doctor yet."

"She will be."

With the atypical mood swings of the Fey, her sorrow turned to amused at his utter confidence. He was, after all, talking to the Future. She answered his statement with a nonchalant shrug. "Anyway, should we go now? The human's dead already and the Saugh are starting to make their move."

A nod of affirmation, "You will handle the newcomers. I will ensure she will not come to harm."

His companion smiled in delight, "Hai!"

.oOOo.oOOo.

A woman made her way down the corridor in a half-daze; her dark brown eyes filled with remorse, her steps echoing forlornly. Having reached an unassuming door, she fiddled with the doorknob for a second, unlocking it, before pushing the door open.

She needed something to get over this. Coffee might do. Liqueur would be even better, but she doubted there would be any in the room. Alcohol robbed the clear-thinking and precision required in a doctor.

But damned if she didn't need it right now.

Delicate fingers scrabbled a moment at the side of the room as she slipped inside, shutting the door behind her. For a moment she was engulfed in darkness, the next she was blinded as the room flooded with light.

Not for the first time, she cursed night shifts.

As her vision returned though, all thoughts of what had happened vanished as she noticed the tall figure standing placidly in the corner. Though the entire room was filled with light, it seemed as though it was cloaked in shadow.

_Him, her mind corrected. In her mind there was no doubt at all that this intruder was male, even before her training picked out the typical male features; the broadness of his shoulders, the slope of his hips and even the angle of his legs._

_That's odd, she thought absently, _I can see his overall shape, but I can't see his features.__

Out loud and with more calm than she felt, "What on earth are you doing in my office?" 

The figure took a step forward. She noted the confidence in that simple movement, and automatically reached for the door handle behind her.

 "What the…?" It was locked. From the inside.

"It's for your own safety." The voice startled her; very pleasantly deep and highly educated. It also had a trace of accent to it, very minute but there nonetheless.

"My own safety?" She couldn't keep the scepticism from her voice then, "I don't know who you are, sir. And it's three in the morning. What are you doing in my office at three in the morning? _And, may I ask, how the hell did the door get locked?"_

The figure seemed to have not heard her question, instead asking her conversationally, "Would you like some coffee?" A mug was held out to her, its tantalizing bitter-sweet aroma nothing like the slop they served at the cafeteria. Not that she ever touched the vile stuff. In her own medical opinions, caffeine was evil. A necessary evil sometimes, but one nonetheless.

A small flex of fingers accompanied his correction, "I'm sorry. Takani Megumi does not drink coffee now, does she? Would you rather green tea instead?"

He sounded _very educated, and the coffee scent warped into the sharp tang of tea. She stared at him, then at the offered mug. Gone was the dark liquid, replaced by the clearness of tea. Behind her, her fingers scrabbled against the doorknob. It remained locked despite her best efforts._

Attention back to him, she frowned. Something was _very_ wrong here. _Why can't I see his face?_

"It's for your own safety" the stranger repeated calmly, as though reading her mind.

She took a deep breath. This could just be happening in her head, she told herself. It could just be the hallucinations coming back. She _had_ been skipping on her pills; she hadn't had any weird visions for ages. Maybe her psychiatrist was right after all. Maybe she wasn't fully cured yet. But then again, the door was locked, which meant there really was a stranger in her office at three in the morning.

Just as she was about to open her mouth, a bump from behind caused her to spin around.

"Ah, Aoshi-sama? They're regrouping," a voice called out apologetically as the door swung open.

Already rattled, Megumi could only stare helplessly at the newcomer, "That door was locked!" She was starting to wonder whether all those hours spent on night shifts had finally driven her off the edge.

A young girl stared back at her incomprehensibly, as though she had not expected her to be there, "Ahh… would you like me to get back outside and knock?"

A sigh from the tall man in black, "No, there's no need for that." Then, "Are you hurt?" The concern in his voice broke his monotony and Megumi found herself staring bewilderedly back and forth between the two of them. It was then that she noticed the large wound grinning wetly at her, stretching from the girl's elbow right up to her shoulder.

"I'll be fine, Aoshi-sama." A bright, quick grin then, "It's hard to fight and be a Fate at the same time."

Megumi interrupted then, finding that here was ground that was _very_ familiar, "Look, I don't know who you are," her sharp words were aimed at the shadowy man standing by her desk and still holding on to the cup of green tea, "But if this girl is hurt _which she most definitely is_ I'd expect you to do a bit more than just _ask_ if she's alright!"

Ignoring the girl's surprised look, she knelt down and inspected the cut. Gaping red and half cloaked by large clumps of clotted blood, the sheer violence behind it made her grimace, "What in the world happened to you?"

Strangely intense midnight eyes focused on her as she was treated to an easy smile, "Had to drive off some imps, Lady."

"Megumi-sensei," the strange man, Aoshi, corrected as he sipped from the mug she had refused.

"Megumi-sensei," the girl finished without missing a beat.

"You," she pointed to Aoshi, "Quiet. And you…" she faltered as she realized she hadn't caught the girl's name.

"Kelcee," she quipped, seemingly not affected at all by the wound, which was now collecting an impressive puddle of blood at her feet.

~

_Here was the power._

He felt it, the faint stirrings disturbing the air ever so slightly, and he could feel the ripples caressing what skin he had bare. A quick check then; vibrant, healing, warm. Yes, this was the energy unique to Takani Megumi.

Aoshi watched, his cloak starting to ripple from the energy building up in the room, watched as Megumi busied herself looking for a first aid kit in the room. Watched very carefully as she cleaned the wound, watched and marvelling quietly at her efficiency and professional air as she worked.

_Does she even realize her potential? He wondered. A blink and he could see the aura of her palms, edged green and blue. Clearly the mark of a healer. _Does she know that's all she'll ever need?__

Remaining silent, he watched carefully as the doctor mopped up the blood, flushing the wound with a liquid whose bottle announced itself as an antiseptic, and inspected the jagged edges of the cut.

Finally, she seemed to have come to a conclusion as she sat back to rummage through the kit, "You'll need stiches. The wound's too deep and uneven to be left alone." The way she briefly regarded Kelcee spoke it all – _Why on earth are you unaffected by the pain?_

Aoshi's cup was halfway to his lips when the full implications of her words hit. Stiches. That meant sewing, and in this world of mortals, that meant steel. And iron. _Iron._

He set the cup down, "I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

~

Kelcee watched quizzically as Megumi-sensei ignored Aoshi-sama's order. Ignored him! What mortal had the courage and self-confidence to ignore Death? She decided then that while being able to foresee the future was a great thing, it could _not_ compare with what was happening now.

A soft 'bak' from the window confirmed her thoughts, and Kelcee hoped like mad Aoshi-sama hadn't discovered her sisters outside the window, _especially_ since they had shape-changed to arguably blend into the current time.

She didn't think he would appreciate the Past and the Present, now a brown and white patched cow and a very straggly chicken, taking peeks in the room. Particularly a room which was five stories off from the ground.

A sudden jab on her arm demanded her attention then, demanding it only as all ice-cold flames tearing through pulped flesh could.

She sank into oblivion, unaware that the ear-piercing screams were her own.

~

"MOO!!"

To Megumi's horror and utter disbelief, a bovine head burst through her office window and began to flail about wildly, its fierce thrashing sending glass flying through the air and scattering over the plain floor. Faster than her eyes could follow, Aoshi appeared before her, ice blue eyes flashing. The deadly rain of glass stopped in mid air to drop down before him, tinkering on the ground. Meanwhile a small red and orange chicken wriggled through a small gap and began hissing – _Can chickens hiss? _Megumi wondered dazedly – and tried pecking at her.

Surrounded by this chaos, she screamed the first thing that came to her, "_I can't work under this pressure!_"

~

Nothing could surprise Shinomori Aoshi. He, the Grim Reaper, was unflappable. Not even the scene playing out before him could shake the cool façade he wore.

But it came close though. A close to hysterical woman – and right now he wished he himself could indulge in such hysterics –, a passed out fate lying in a rapidly growing pool of blood and glass, a half crazed _cow_ stuck halfway through the window and a _fully_ crazed chicken running around trying to peck out Megumi's stethoscope. That was so far the best candidate to drive himself mad.

He took a deep breath; he could handle this. A small moment to decide the best course of action, then at battlefield volume; "Girls! Stand _down!_"

The words cracked through the room like a gun-shot. Automatically both the cow and chicken paused, their expressions of confusion and betrayal clearly identical. He dismissed them with a single shake of his head, long bangs swaying gently, "Change back and get Kelcee out of here."

A small wriggle and as though from an optical illusion, the cow changed form; shadows on the shoulder darkening into facial features, a bovine leg suddenly becoming an outstretched arm, the head shifting in and out of focus to emerge as folds of a cloak.

A girl slithered through the window then, protected from the sharp glass shards by her white and brown cow-print cloak. Her limber form through, she was clearly chastised by Aoshi's stern look.

In the snapshot, the tall _mortal_ Death was the calm in the midst of a huge storm of debris.

"Sorry, Aoshi-sama," the girl apologized, picking up the ever-confused chicken – Del – and placing her absently on her shoulder, "Its…"

She was silenced by Aoshi's stern look, his words final, "We leave now." She nodded, though still clearly upset. Picking up the unconscious Kelcee almost as though she weighed nothing, she hurried over to the window and shoving it open she hopped out. 

That dealt with, he turned around just in time to see Megumi raise a finger at him. "I," she said warningly, and he could see her starting to tremble, "Am going to _hate you for this."_

He caught her just in time as she crumbled into a faint.

A/N:

How was that? :) Like it? Hate it? Too confusing to know? Leave me a review and let me know! In the meantime, I will be posting a _long one-shotter pretty soon… A/Meg as usual, and so far I'm pretty happy with it. Which is **_rare_. *grin*. Can't wait till it's finished.**_

Till the next chapter!


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